So much happening this month! There are hearings and advocacy days at the State House before legislators adjourn for the holidays, lots of ways to get involved in election-related activities with primaries coming up fast and the 2020 general election less than a year away, daily developments in the impeachment inquiry, and a new Indivisible book to discuss. We'll be covering lots of these topics at our Activism Evening next Monday - hope to see you there and at some of the other events described below!
MEET WITH US IN NOVEMBER!
We'd love to have you join us at one of our three regular monthly meetings: our Activism Evening on Monday, November 11, MI Book Club Meeting on November 20 or Weekday Warriors Meeting on Friday November 22.
Monthly Activism Evening
Monday November 11, 7-9:00pm
First Parish Church, 7 Harrington Rd., Lexington At this month's Activism Evening, you'll be able to support key legislative priorities, help with GOTV efforts, plan for impeachment, and continue discussing strategy for the 2020 elections. It would be helpful to bring a laptop (or tablet) and pens, highlighters and stamps (and/or a small contribution for postage).
MI Book Club Meeting
Wednesday November 20, 7:15-8:45pm
Lexington Community Center, 39 Marrett Road,Lexington Join us to discuss We Are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump, the new book by Indivisible's co-executive directors Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin. New members are always welcome and we provide a summary of the book for those who haven't had a chance to read it yet. RSVP here.
Join us at this Wednesday's hearing at the State House (or contact your legislators) and help collect signatures for the RCV ballot question before this month's deadline!
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 6
LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON RCV BILLS
The Joint Committee on Election Lawswill be holding a public hearing at 1pm on several bills related to ranked choice voting. Want to meet up or share a ride with the other MI members who plan to attend?Let us know and we'll be in touch. Can't make the hearing? Contact your legislators and ask them to urge the Committee to act favorably on the RCV bills.
Help with the final push to collect signatures for the RCV ballot question!
The ballot initiative process limits the number of signatures that can be collected from a single county. Due to the hard work of many volunteers, signature collection in Middlesex county is wrapping up. If you would like to help in other counties, sign up with Voter Choice for Massachusetts here. You can see locations across the state where volunteers are already planning to collect signatures here.
PROTECT IMMIGRANTS IN MA
It's Time to Pass the Safe Communities Act!
As the Trump administration continues to pursue its inhumane immigration policies, we need to stand up and protect our immigrant neighbors here in MA. Please keep contacting your legislators to build the momentum needed to pass the SCA this session. Call or use this link to email your legislators now!
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6
JERICHO WALK AT BURLINGTON ICE OFFICE
Join local faith leaders and community members from 3:30-4:30pm at 1000 District Ave (behind the Burlington Mall) for their monthly Jericho Walk, an act of solidarity to bring down the walls of our unjust immigration system, that is open to people of all or no faiths. If you bring signs, please make them supportive of immigrants, and refrain from signs explicitly endorsing or condemning any political candidate or official. See this link for more details.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7
MEET WITH MA SECRETARY OF STATE BILL GALVIN
Join us at 7pm at the Lexington Community Center to hear Secretary of State Bill Galvin discuss the 2020 Census and elections issues at the Lexington Democratic Town Committee's November meeting. Free and open to the public.
Support Election Security Bills in MA
Massachusetts' voting machines count paper ballots, but they are still vulnerable in several ways. One key way to protect our vote is to audit the paper ballots cast to make sure they match up with electronic vote tallies. Four bills (S.388, H.694, H.687, and H.721) that would strengthen post-election audits, including three that would establish risk-limiting audits - a gold-standard reform, were discussed at a recent State House hearing. Call or email your state legislators and urge them to support these bills.
Tell Congress that New Electronic Voting Machines are not Secure!
Many jurisdictions are planning to use a new class of voting machines called Ballot Marking Devices (BMDs), a touchscreen computer that produces a paper record of a voter's selections. See this link for a sample script you can use to tell your MoCs (and presidential candidates) about the problems with these devices.
CANVASS IN MAINE TO HELP FLIP THE SENATE
Our fellow Indivisibles have been working with our friends at Swing Left Greater Boston to canvass in southern Maine this fall to help flip the Senate. Canvassers ask residents their opinions on a variety of issues to learn what is most important to them and help Maine Dems plan their strategy. Sign up to canvass for one or more days during Veterans Day weekend.
You can also attend a local training session this Thursday to get an idea of what canvassing entails, whether or not you plan to go to Maine.
This 3-hour canvass in Kennebunk on Saturday afternoon makes for an easy day trip and leaves time before or after the canvass to explore Southern Maine.RSVP here.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 8 - SUNDAY NOVEMBER 10
WEEKEND CANVASS
Join a dedicated group of canvassers who will be staying overnight on Friday and Saturday to get in two full days of canvassing in Southern Maine. The trip will include group meals, political conversations and a fun hike or other activity on Sunday. The group has accommodations at an AirBnB and will help with travel arrangements.RSVP here for the weekend canvass
BUILD THE BLUE WAVE
There's Still Time to Support Organizing Corps 2020!
There was a great turnout for last month's fundraiser for Organizing Corps 2020, which is training 1,000 organizers in key battleground states to work for the eventual Democratic nominee. Cofounder Meg Ansara made a compelling case for this innovative organization and host Teresa prepared delicious food from the battleground states we need to win in 2020! If you'd like to support this great cause, you can still donate NOW using this link.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10
MEET REP. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (VA-07)
Our friends at Force Multiplier are sponsoring fundraisers to support the re-election of Abigail Spanberger and help hold the House. Rep. Spanberger, the first woman to represent her House district and the first Democrat to do so in 47 years, won by only 2% in 2018. Come meet her at one of these events:
Lincoln 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM RSVP and donate here.
With special guest Rep. Katherine Clark.
Newton 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM RSVP and donate here.
With special guest Rep. Seth Moulton
Rockport 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM RSVP and donate here.
Live stream of the Newton event with special guest Rep. Seth Moulton
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
FUNDRAISING TRAINING WEBINAR
Raising money for progressive candidates is one of the most effective things we can do to flip the Senate (and hang onto the House) in 2020. Our friends at Swing Left Greater Boston have invited us to sign up for this fundraising webinar. Learn how to make a personal “pitch” to a friend or colleague from the "pros" at 31st Street Swing Left, a chapter based in the DC/MD/VA area. RSVP here for the call-in details and to preview the 31st Street Swing Left fundraising toolkit.
GET THE ROE ACT PASSED NOW!
Please help us get the ROE Act out of committee before the legislature adjourns for its holiday recess.
Sign up to join us at the State House for the ROE Act Advocacy Day on Thursday, November 14. Get more details and RSVP here.
The new Indivisible book is here! Read this excerpt, buy a copy (or get it from the library), and check out these opportunities to discuss it with the authors and fellow Indivisibles.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
"WE ARE INDIVISIBLE" BOOK EVENT IN CAMBRIDGE
The MI Book Club will also be discussing the new Indivisible book this month, Join us at the Lexington Community Center at 7:15pm to discuss We Are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump. New members are always welcome and we provide a summary of the book for those who haven't had a chance to read it yet. RSVP here.
FIGHT VOTER SUPPRESSION
Voter suppression has been on the rise in many states since the Supreme Court gutted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. To win in 2020, we need to understand and fight back against these efforts.
Suppressed: The Fight to Vote, will be shown at First Parish Church in Concord at 7:30 pm Get more details and RSVP here.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24
FILM SCREENING IN CAMBRiDGE
Our friends at Swing Left Greater Boston are hosting this free screening of Suppressed: The Fight to Vote. Following the film, Margaret Bourdeaux, sister of Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-07 congressional candidate who very narrowly lost in 2018 and is running again in 2020), will talk about her experiences on the ground in Georgia in 2018.
Quentin Palfrey, the 2018 Democratic nominee for Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor and Ohio Voter Protection Director for the 2008 Obama campaign, also will be attending. He chairs the nonprofit Voter Protection Corps, a new lawyer-driven organization that is building a state-by-state playbook to combat voter suppression.
Phone Bank with Indivisiblefor a Fair Impeachment Trial
More than 500 Indivisible volunteers have already made 250,000 Hubdialer calls to friendly voters in key states and connected them with their Republican senators on impeachment. Indivisible hopes to make more than one million calls! Join volunteers across the country to pitch in an hour of your time and sign up for a shift here to connect voters with their senators to demand a fair and complete impeachment trial.
Rally to Support impeachment
Indivisible and the other groups that planned last year's "Nobody is Above the Law" rallies are promoting local rallies that will be held on the eve of a House impeachment vote. Rallies are already being planned in Cambridge, Framingham, and other MA communities. Check this link for more details and get more information about MI's plans at next Monday's Activism Evening.
Keep Up-to-Date on the Latest Impeachment Developments
Heather Cox Richardson, a history professor at Boston College. posts excellent daily summaries of the impeachment process on her Facebook page
Indivisible posts Impeachment Daily updates on its YouTube channel - a summary of the latest developments delivered with a bit of humor.
SUPPORT STATE CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION
The science is clear: to avoid the devastation of irreversible climate change, we must cut our carbon pollution to net zero by 2050. To do this, we need ambitious state legislation like the 2050 Roadmap Bill to ensure Massachusetts meets its climate goals while keeping people and jobs front and center.
This bill is a critical update to the state’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act. The 2050 Roadmap Bill (H.3983) requires use of the latest science to create a comprehensive plan to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by at least 2050. It also adds new accountability — holding state agencies accountable to the legislature and to the people of Massachusetts for implementing that plan. See this fact sheet for a summary of the bill's provisions and a list of the many organizations that support it.
Following social media accounts and liking or sharing their posts is an easy way to amplify the message about the plight of the North Atlantic Right Whale. Here are two Massachusetts-based social media accounts that you can follow to keep abreast of the effort to help save these magnificent creatures: a Facebook page and a Twitter account. If you follow these accounts, you will also be able to keep learn about the adventures of Bailey and Martha Abigail, two whales launched from Lexington that travelled to Florida for the Right Whale festival!
JOIN US AT THE INDIVISIBLE MA CONFERENCE
Register NOW for the Indivisible MA Conference! 2020 will be a critical year in our nation’s history. Join us and activists from across Massachusetts in Worcester on Saturday, December 7 to get ready to defend our democracy in 2020 and beyond!
The conference will focus on working sessions, not a lot of speeches. It will start with issue and electoral strategy sessions, then move to more tactical and “how to” sessions. The last session of the day will focus on “bringing it home” – a chance for people to gather by congressional district, electoral goal, or issues to create action plans for working together.
Workshop topics will cover election planning and techniques and many pressing issues including climate change, gun safety, healthcare, immigrant and refugee rights, women’s reproductive rights, and expanding democracy.
The conference is being organized by Indivisible Massachusetts and will include the participation of Swing Left, Progressive Mass., the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), 350.org, Our Revolution Massachusetts, Progressive Democrats of America, as well as many Democratic Town Committees, local Women’s March groups and other allies.
We need volunteers to help edit our Muster newsletter. If you've been receiving this email newsletter for a while, you may have noticed it's being sent out less frequently; without your help, we may not be able to send it at all.
We're looking for one or more volunteers who can spend a few hours every other week taking the information submitted by our team leaders, issue champions, and allies and entering it into our Mailchimp newsletter template. There's no need for special graphic or writing skills or even previous experience using Mailchimp - we'll provide any training or assistance you might need!
Editing the Muster is a great way to connect with the amazing volunteer activists who organize the actions and events highlighted in the Muster. Email communications@minutemanindivisible.org if you'd like to help.
The Muster will be coming to your inbox during the first and third week of the month.
Keep checking the MI Calendar and our homepage for the most current line-up of events and actions.
Join our Slack to stay in the loop! Your input is welcome!
Support Minuteman Indivisible's work Our expenses are modest, but we do need funds for events, supplies, and communications, including our website and newsletter. You can donate here to help Minuteman Indivisible continue to work for you and for Liberty and Justice for All!
